PamGene’s technology takes a unique approach: measuring a drug’s direct effect on the kinase activity of cancer cells from pre-clinical model systems and ex vivo from a patient.

Testing of kinase activity in a cell or tissue sample takes place on a PamChip® microarray, through detection and interpretation of phosphorylation patterns.

PamGene technology is applied across the academic, medical research and pharmaceutical fields and is used in pharmaceutical companies including Johnson & Johnson, Novartis, Pfizer, Merck and Schering-Plough.

PamGene technology in detail...

• Each well on a PamChip® contains up to 256 individual peptide spots, each representing a human kinase substrate.

• Assays take place within a unique microscopic aluminium oxide matrix which provides a range of benefits including the need for only small amounts of sample (a lysate of 1-10μg total protein or as little as 50,000 cells per array: e.g., 1-2 mm3 tissue or 1-6 coupes)

• Cell lysate mixed with ATP (source of phosphate for kinase action) and labelled detection antibodies, is applied to each PamChip® array (well) and incubated in a PamStation® where the phosphorylation signals from each peptide spot are recorded over time to capture kinetic data.

• Kinetic data is an important quality indicator as it confirms that enzymic activity has been recorded

• Resulting phosphorylation patterns and kinetic data undergo assessment using PamGene’s Bionavigator data analysis software enabling biological conclusions to be drawn.